Isabella lives in relative peace on the island of Joya, with her father who is a cartographer, and her best friend Lupe, daughter of the much hated Governor Adori. However, when a girl called Cata who Isabella knows from school is found dead in an orchard, she and Lupe have a big argument. Lupe sent Cata into the orchard to get dragon fruit, and yet is oblivious to the fact that she was killed due to Lupe’s overprotective mother and secretive father.

Then, a strange event occurs – many animals are drowned, because they ran seemingly willingly into the sea. Isabella’s father gets wrongly taken to the dungeons called the Dedalo, and Isabella is on her own. Things get worse when she discovers a note from Lupe, telling her that she had gone into the forbidden woods to find Cata’s killer. Disguised as a boy, she joins Lupe’s search party – yet there is much more to be discovered about the forest and the secrets it holds than seems at first…

If you like maps, mythical beasts and myths, then you will almost certainly enjoy this book!